Category Archives: California State University San Marcos

After a winter break, San Marcos students are headed back to school. With elementary, middle and high schools along with Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College back in session this month, I-15 and SR-78 travelers can expect increased traffic delays during their daily commute.

While the increase in traffic congestion is familiar to city residents, students and commuters alike, the City of San Marcos is pleased to report that continued relief is on the way.

In the city’s ongoing efforts to get motorists moving and improve traffic flow, several roadway improvement projects are lined up over the next year. Planned projects include resurfacing of Rancho Santa Fe Road and annual pavement repair work throughout the community. Intersection safety upgrades throughout the city that have highest collision rates will receive safety improvements this spring. This summer, residents will also see a new traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of South Santa Fe Road and Smilax Road to make it safer to cross through the intersection.

During the school year and periods of roadway construction, drive with caution and provide ample time to reach your destination safely and on time.

On Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) will be conducting active shooter training exercises in conjunction with the San Marcos Fire Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and a number of other North County hospitals, fire and law enforcement agencies. Due to the increase of active shootings and recent tragic events such as those in San Bernardino, Calif.; Paris, France; Roseburg, Ore. and Colorado Springs, Colo., CSUSM has made it a priority to ensure the campus community is well prepared for an active shooter emergency.

The drills, which will take place in the University Student Union, will include front line hospital staff as well as law enforcement and first responder agencies. Participating agencies include the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, City of San Marcos Fire Department, City of Escondido Fire and Police Departments, Palomar Hospital, Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and Rady Children’s Hospital.

Residents and motorists may notice emergency vehicles, including medical helicopters, ambulances, fire trucks and patrol cars on campus and in the surrounding community. Traffic control measures will be implemented throughout campus.

“The safety and welfare of our campus community is our highest priority,” said Robert McManus, CSUSM chief of police. “Conducting and planning for this exercise will allow us to assess our emergency response, interagency coordination and recovery efforts after such an event.”

When: Wednesday, Jan. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. First drill will take place from 9 am to 12 p.m., the second drill will take place from 1 to 4 p.m.

Where: California State University San Marcos, University Student Union

SAN MARCOS – The leaders of the three major educational institutions in San Marcos — the state university, community college and school district — described how expanded educational partnerships, strong enrollment growth and dramatic campus construction have marked the evolution of San Marcos as a regional education hub over the past 10 years at a biennial educational forum Wednesday hosted by the City of San Marcos.

Dr. Karen Haynes, president of California State University San Marcos; Adrian Gonzales, interim president of Palomar College, and Dr. Kevin Holt, superintendent of the San Marcos Unified School District reviewed accomplishments over the past ten years since the forum’s establishment and detailed how collaborative programs linked to the City or education partners have helped reach bold milestones.

Over that period, the number of students at California State University San Marcos has doubled to about 14,000, making it California’s fastest-growing state university said President Karen Haynes. In the San Marcos Unified School District, from elementary school through high school, about 21,000 students are being taught, up from about 16,000 in 2005, said Superintendent Kevin Holt. Interim President Adrian Gonzales noted that Palomar College offers educational opportunities to more than 23,000 students.

Mayor Jim Desmond described the city’s sponsorship as “a conscious effort to embrace our educational community” with a goal of “providing skills for the workplace of the future.”

With many school board members, trustees, city council members and the general public in attendance, the forum, “Making the Grade: In Just Ten Years,” for the first time was held at the campus of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in San Marcos. The private university, which specializes in graduate training for occupational and physical therapy, expanded to San Marcos in 2009 and also has campuses in St. Augustine, Florida, and Austin, Texas. President Wanda Nitsch moderated the forum.

Partnership was a key theme in describing how the school district, community college and state university work together to encourage and insure that students graduating from San Marcos high schools have a supportive pathway to higher education.

Superintendent Holt pointed out that the Pace Promise program guarantees every graduating senior who meets entry level requirements a spot in the entering class at Cal State San Marcos. “We live in a community that prioritizes higher education for kids,” he said.

President Haynes noted that such a guarantee is increasingly important as the number of applications for the freshman class has continued to go up, making admission more difficult. The current entering class had 19,000 applications for 2,500 slots, she said.

Holt also detailed efforts to reach out to San Marcos high school students through the GEAR UP program with Palomar College to provide workshops on preparing for and getting into college, including help to pay for all SMUSD 10th and 11th grade PSAT tests, an important early round test in the admissions process.

Gonzales noted also that the college is working with the district to help students who take a senior year math course to transition into college algebra.

Gonzales then described the achievements of Palomar College as a “hidden secret in San Marcos,” from its planetarium, the fifth-largest in the state, to its 22 varsity athletic teams, its student radio station ranked as No. 1 in the country, its debate team ranked nationally, and its standing as one of the top three colleges in the nation in graduating Hispanic students.

Haynes, too, touted the accomplishments of Cal State San Marcos in serving minority students, noting that for the third year in a row, more than half of graduating students were the first in their families to achieve a four-year degree.

Over the past 10 years, the most visible accomplishments have been the construction of new buildings, helped with funding from major, voter-approved bond measures for the San Marcos Unified School District and Palomar College.

San Marcos High School, now a modern landmark on San Marcos Boulevard, opened in 2014 and Double Peaks School, the district’s first kindergarten through eighth grade school, is set to open next August. Palomar College is beginning work on a new library and learning center. And a 1,400-seat multipurpose arena now under construction is set to open next fall at Cal State San Marcos.

While school funding has stabilized across the state with the rebound of the economy, Haynes said Cal State San Marcos plans to reach out with its first comprehensive fund-raising campaign. She said that 85 percent of the alumni stay in the region and that the university generates hundreds of millions of dollars for the local economy.

“Cal State San Marcos is now an investment in our region,” she said.

Honing in on the link between economic development and education, Mayor Jim Desmond detailed major developments close to the university and college campuses that are bringing new housing and businesses and continue to interconnect road improvements and SPRINTER transit stations to make the community a place where people can thrive in both education and career.

“San Marcos is a place where you can go from kindergarten to graduate school to employee,” Desmond said. “By partnering together, we are fostering a friendly, collaborative city that embraces our role as the education hub of North County.”

This fall, CSU San Marcos Extended Learning will offer a six-week certificate program that will help participants create emergency preparedness plans for their organizations.

San Marcos, Calif. — Sept. 1 — Fire season began early this year, and wildfires have been ravaging large portions of Northern and Central California. San Diego County residents are aware that it’s only a matter of time before the danger reaches our part of the state. With climate change intensifying the frequency and ferocity of natural disasters like fires and flooding, and the emerging perils of manmade disasters like cybersecurity threats and infrastructure breaches, it’s important to plan an effective response in the event of an emergency.

While emergency preparedness efforts tend to focus on protecting homes and families, the San Diego Office of Emergency Services recommends that every business have an emergency preparedness element in their strategic business plan. However, a mere 7% have taken this precaution: That means 93% of organizations do not have a plan for business resumption in the event of an emergency. CSU San Marcos aims to help more businesses become disaster-ready with the Professional Certificate in Business Emergency Preparedness Planning (BEPP). Meeting over six half-day sessions this fall, the BEPP Certificate will give participants the tools, information, and processes needed to develop and implement an emergency preparedness plan for their organization.

“Having been a first responder for many years, I recognize that the new Business Emergency Preparedness Planning Program at California State University San Marcos is a must-attend for San Diego’s business community,” says Jason Adams, Disaster Program Manager for the San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross. “It is essential that businesses are exposed to this curriculum so that they can protect their staff and their assets, mitigate losses, and have the ability to keep their organizations functioning during and after a disaster.”

The BEPP Certificate program takes participants through each phase of the disaster preparedness planning process, from assessing potential hazards and vulnerabilities to developing a recovery plan and resuming operations. The classes will be held on-site at businesses and government emergency operations centers, giving those enrolled an inside look at the resources that are available to assist in a crisis. Over the course of the six-week program, each participant will develop an emergency plan for his or her business or organization using the techniques, strategies, and tactics learned in the classes.

Enrollment for the Business Emergency Preparedness Planning Certificate program is now open for fall 2015, with classes beginning on Friday, Oct. 9. The half-day classes will be held on Fridays from 8 am to 1 pm through Nov. 13, 2015, with lunch included at each session. The program is cohort based. To learn more about the BEPP Certificate program call 760-750-4020 or visit http://www.csusm.edu/el/certificateprograms/bpdev/bepp/index.html.

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As the summer winds down, San Marcos students are headed back to school. With elementary, middle and high schools along with Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College back in session later this month, I-15 and SR-78 travelers can expect increased traffic delays during their daily commute.

While the increase in traffic congestion is familiar to city residents, students and commuters alike, the City of San Marcos is pleased to report that continued relief is on the way.

In the city’s ongoing efforts to get motorists moving and improve traffic flow, several roadway improvement projects are lined up over the next year. Planned projects include resurfacing of Rancho Santa Fe Road and annual pavement repair work throughout the community. New traffic signals slated for the intersections of Borden Road, Richland Road and Rose Ranch Road will also provide safer routes to Richland Elementary School.

During the school year and periods of roadway construction, drive with caution and provide ample time to reach your destination safely and on time.

The city of San Marcos still has room for large-scale projects, although the lack of redevelopment funds may make construction difficult.

Along with many projects, the 214-acre San Marcos’ Creek District Specific Plan was about to be implemented when the state of California eliminated redevelopment agencies in 2012.

While that financing vehicle is gone, city officials and developers are proceeding on the assumption the money will somehow be cobbled together.

Located along San Marcos Creek, between Discovery Street and San Marcos Boulevard, the plan calls for 2,300 residential dwelling units, 1,265,000 square feet of retail and as much as 589,000 square feet of office space.

Why: Many post-baccalaureate individuals decide to change their careers and enter the expanding health industry. This post-baccalaureate program will prepare students who have completed a non-life-science degree in areas such as anthropology, English or psychology to gain the knowledge base required to become competitive applicants to health professional schools such as dental school, medical school or veterinary school. However, this goal is not easily realized because the subjects of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology are heavily impacted at nearly every university. At CSUSM, the cohort design of the Pre-Health Professions program will help alleviate this problem, and will meet student needs for preparation to competitively qualify for admissions into health professions programs.

Facts about the Pre-Health Professions (PHP) program:

Comprises 51 credits/units of biology, chemistry, math and physics
• 13 courses, including eight with labs, to be completed over two years
• Classes are held weekday evenings over five semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring)
• Cohort structure guarantees classes
• Up-to-date courses help prepare for MCAT, etc.

As the academic outreach arm of Cal State San Marcos, Extended Learning is a leading provider of professional and continuing education in North San Diego and Southwest Riverside counties. Offering degree programs and both academic credit and noncredit professional development courses, as well as career-based certificate programs, we help individuals and organizations achieve their educational and training goals.

Why: Specialized Accelerated MBA Program will provide participants with the skills they need to be successful in the business world and will prepare them for entrance into some of the finest companies in the region and abroad. This unique “stackable” program consists of 36-48 units in three phases: the Foundation, the Core, and the Specialization in Business Intelligence or International Business, which also presents three entry and exit points into and out of the program. Upon satisfactory completion of each phase of the program, students will receive a certificate, and upon completion of the final project/culminating experience, an MBA.

This flexible, innovative program will benefit business and non-business major graduates and international students interested in pursuing advanced business education, designed to be completed in 12-15 months. Attend this or any information session for program details!

As the academic outreach arm of Cal State San Marcos, Extended Learning is a leading provider of professional and continuing education in North San Diego and Southwest Riverside counties. Offering degree programs and academic credit and noncredit professional development courses, as well as career-based certificate programs, we help individuals and organizations achieve their educational and training goals.

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Since 2006 San Elijo Life ™ provides community news, photos, videos, and a directory of resources for residents of San Elijo Hills. The site is independent from the developer and the homeowner’s association.